The young guns of the Memphis Grizzlies, center Zach Edey and wing Jaylen Wells, have been dubbed royalty among rookies as the NBA announced their selection to the All-Rookie First Team for the 2024-25 season, an accolade not claimed by a pair of Grizzlies since the Morant-Clarke era of 2020.
Asserting dominance in their debut seasons, Edey, the much-discussed first-round pick, stood out as a formidable force inside, boasting the highest field goal percentage and most rebounds among rookies. Meanwhile, Wells, who has been described by WREG as a "second round steal," shattered expectations by leading in three-pointers made and free throw percentage—this despite being the lone non-lottery pick, non-first-rounder on the team. His campaign, however, was cut short due to a broken wrist.
The honed skills of Wells, who played in a staggering 79 games before injury took its toll, did not go unnoticed as he snatched the third most votes in the Rookie of the Year contest, as stated by Action News 5. Edey's resilience shone through the season's challenges, culminating in the recognition that defied the early doubts of some overly confident critics.
Zach Edey, in a statement obtained by WREG, reflected on his accomplishment with a hint of vindication: "I’ve been fortunate enough to be recognized before in stuff like this, but I think this one might mean a little more. A lot of people that get paid a lot of money that said a lot of things about me about how I was going to be in the NBA, what type of player, what type of future I was going to have," he said. "This isn’t the end of the journey, but it’s just step one in kind of showing them that I think a lot of people kind of overthought some things." Joining Edey and Wells on the All-Rookie First Team are Stephon Castle of the Spurs, Zaccharie Risacher of the Hawks, and Alex Sarr of the Wizards.
